Pill-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

J. A. MGFERRAN.

PILL MACHINE.

No. 449,424. Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. A. MGFERRAN.

PILL MACHINE.

No. 449,424. Patented Mar. 31,1891.

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e| 1M www y im@ @UW D A ll W07 a/-Jmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH A. MGFERRAN, OF PHLADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PILL-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,424, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed January 5, 1889. Serial No. 295,512. (No model.) i

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that l, JOSEPH A. MCFERRAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Pill-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines for compressing pulverized materials into the form of pills or tablets, and has for its object the construction of simple and powerful meehanism for this purpose, as fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section of my improved machine.. Fig'. 2 is an end view of the machine with the base in section on the line l 2, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view7 of the ejector and its connections. Fig. fi is a view of a nest of dies. Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a modified form of hopper; and Figs. (l, 7, 8, and 9 are views of modifications ot' details ot' my invention.

A is the frame-work of the machine. A diecarrier D is supported on suitable guidewaysd. in the frame and carries a die D', which forms a receptacle for the pulverized material. This die-carrier is given a reciprocating motion by a cam C on a shaft B through the medium ot' a lever L, block Z, and connectingrod M. The die D can be adj usted to a nicety by moving the block Z toward or from the ful- Crum of the lever L. The block in the pres` ent instance has a set-screW for securing it to the lever, although other devices may be used for the purpose without departing from my invention.

On one end of the connecting-rod M is a ball m., adapted to a socket Z in the block l. The object of providing this ball-and-socket joint between the rod and block is, first, to give auniversal movement, and, second, that the die-carrier may be uneoupled from the lever by simply raising the rod out of connection with the block. The die-carrier can then be removed for repairs, or for adjustment, or for fitting different-sized dies thereto.

The compression-die e is carried by a plunger E', connected to a crank E on a shaft B by a rod E2, the upper end of which has a bearing for the crank, the other end being in the form of a cylinder adapted .to a socketforming a knucklejoint, so that the plunger will not only be depressed bythe movement ofthe crank, but will also be raised, as will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings. The'die itself I prefer to construct in the manner shown in the United States Patents granted to me on the 25th day ot' November, 188i, No. 308,508, and on the 31st day of July, i888, No. 387,002.

The die e is attached to the plunger E through the medium of a chuck e', which is threaded and adapted to ath readed oriiice in the plunger, this chuck being split inthe ordinary manner, forming spring-jaws. A nut f forms a clamp for the chuck as well as a jam-nut to secure said chuck to the plunger.

Adapted to the die D is au ejectorr, which may be made in the manner shown in the above-mentioned patents. This plunger has an annular groove at its base, and is adapted to slide longitudinally in a slideway J as the die-carrier is reciprocated from a position in line with the upper die to a position in line with the opening in the hopper, described hereinafter.

The guideway J is supported by and forms part of a post I, in the present instance this post being adapte-d to bearings in the base ot the machine, and has an annular groove to which is adapted one end of a lever G, which is pivoted at g to the base ot' the machine. The lever is acted upon by a vertical rod H', which is a continuation of a rod H, having at its upper end an anti-friction roller h', against which a cam C' acts. This cam is secured to the shaft B. The rod H is adjustable in the rod H, and is secured in its adjusted position by a jam-nut 7?., as shown in Fig. l. A springs, att-ached to the frame, bears against. the under side of one arm ot' lever Gand tends to keep thc lever always iu contact with the rod 1i.

To regulate themachiue for quantity, I p rovide an adjustable rest for the post I. This rest in the present instance consists ot a screw-rod N, having a tapered portion n, on which the post rests. io this screw-rod is adapted a nut n', which is confined to its bearing in the base of the machine by a screwpin n2, adapted to an annular groove in said nut.l The rod N is grooved throughout, and

in this groove rests a lug m, Fig. 2, which prevents the rod from turning. By turning the uut so as to move the rod N in or out more or less material can be inserted into the lower die. To regulate the pressure, I adjust the rod H in the tubular rod I-I, as above described.

In some cases the ejector g may merely rest upon the slideway J, instead of being confined vertically thereto. In this case the ejector, instead of being forcibly withdrawn, would fall by its own weight. I prefer, however, to use the devices shown.

In order to insure the withdrawal of the ejector-plunger to the proper depth, I secure a pivoted tapered block d2 to the under side of the die-carrier D, and raise or lower this block by means of an adj Listing-screw d,wliich is secured to but free to turn in said block.

By this arrangement a delicate adjustment can be made, so that the lower die will always receive the proper quantity of material from the hopper.

In place of the pivoted blocks shown in Fig. I, a tapered block having a simple vertical movement may be used, as shown in Fig. G, accomplishing the same purpose.

In place of the single die and ejector shown in Fig. l, a nest-die may be used, as shown in Fig. 4, which consists of a lower die having a series of orilices in which the ejectors and plun gers work.

The hopper I) is pivoted to a stud on the frame, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it can be swung away when necessary. The hopper may be of the same construction as that shown in my former patents above alluded to. In the present instance the box is shallow,

'and has bearings for a vertical shaft p, on

which is a pulley 19. On the main shaft B is a pulley p2, a belt p3 passing around said pulley pi, around idlers p4, and around the pulley p on the vertical shaft p. On the shaft p is a disk q, having blades q', which agitate the material and feed it to the orifice s,which is so situated as to be directly above thelower die when the carrier is reciprocated. Then only a small quantity of pills to fill a prescription are required, I prefer to use a hopper like that shown in Fig. 5, which is more convenient for holding small quantities of drugs.

In placeof the device shown in Fig. l forholding the upperdie, I may use the device shown in Figs. 7 and S, which consists of a simple undercut pin or lug e on the lower end of the plunger and adie having a beveled flange e2, adapted to lit under said undercut pin or lug, the flange of the die having an orice c3, so as to allow the die to be placed in position under the plunger, and by simply turning said die it will be held in place by the undercut pinor lug. WVhere a number of sizes of pills are to ybe made, this mode of attaching is preferred, as the dies can be quickly removed and inserted without loss of time.

The shaft B is driven from a shaft B', adapted to bearings on the frame A, and the shaft B is geared to the shaft B through the able from and toward the roller h.

medium of gear-wheels b b. A crank may be applied to the shaft B; but I prefer in all cases to use a fly-wheel R, which is provided with a handle R', by which it is turned; or in some cases a belt may be used on said flywheel, as circumstances require.

In place of the tapered adjusting-screw N, Fig. 2, a set-screw, Fig. 9, may be used, and in some cases the spring s may be dispensed with and a roller placed above the cam o', as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, and adjust- The rod II in this case would be pivoted to the lever G, as shown by dotted lines.

The cam c may act directly upon the post I, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. I; but I prefer in most cases the construction shown.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, in a machine for compressing powdered substances, of the die-carrier adapted to reciprocate in a horizontal plane, the die therein, an ejector carried by said die-carrier having an independentvertical movement, with a plunger for compressing the substance, and a hopper, said die-carrier having a movement from under the plunger-die to the hopper, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the die-carrier, its die, the plunger, the hopper, the ejector, arranged substantially as set forth, adapted to an orifice in said die-carrier, a grooved slideway in which the base of the ejector slides the lever, and a cam for operating said lever for raising the slideway and ejector, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a reciprocating diecarrier, vertically-operatin g plunger, an ej ector, a vertically-operated slideway,the.ejector adapted to slide on the slideway, but move vertically therewith, whereby it can be forced in or removed from the die, substantially as specified.

e. The combination of a reciprocating diecarrier, die therein, means for operating the carrier, the vertically-operated plunger, the ejector adapted to the die, a grooved slideway for said ejector, and .an adjustable depression device mounted on the die-carrier and operating to depress the said slideway, substantially as speciiied.

5. The combination of a reciprocating diecarrier, die therein, means for operating the carrier, vertically-operated plunger, the ejector, a vertically-operated4 slideway controlling said ejector, and means for adjusting the slideway for the purpose of forming differentsized pills or tablets, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I .have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH A. MCFERRAN. Witnesses:

WILLIAM D. CONNER, HARRY SMITH.

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